Meet Pickett
by whatswiththemustache
Summary: There's talk of a mysterious beast in a little town of Ireland, and talk like that is bound to bring strange visitors. There's really none stranger than Newt Scamander and a Doctor in a blue box.
1. Meet Pickett - Part I

**Crossover – There's talk of a mysterious beast in a little town of Ireland, and talk like that is bound to bring strange visitors. There's really none stranger than Newt Scamander and a Doctor in a blue box.**

It was the year 1924, and one particularly rural corner of Ireland was going through a rather strange time. The town of Kenmare had been noisy with complaints of vandalism - torn up gardens, broken fences, strange tracks in people's yards. To an outsider, the commotion wouldn't have seemed all that warranted; surely it was just a fox or a dog or something, scavenging for a few final scraps of food before winter set in. Even stranger, really, was the reaction of the townsfolk. They were stirring up a storm over the incident, and it didn't seem quite right.

Not only did the townsfolk insist on setting up bonfires in the streets and stoking them through the night, but they strictly enforced a new policy of keeping their children locked up in their homes at all hours. Not a single child, or an adult for that matter, had gone missing or been hurt or anything of the sort, but the fear of it happening was adamant.

All this would have seemed strange to any outsiders, but none of it really got the chance to, because the townsfolk were also quite adamant about keeping any outsiders very much on the _outside_ of the town. All the men took up arms and turned any visitors away at the bridge, and if anyone did happen to make it further into the establishment, they would surely have been chased out of town in an instant. The little town of Kenmare was closed for business.

All of this meant that a few miles outside the town limits, a strange man who just so happened to be exactly that – an outsider – was very busy trekking the boggy terrain all on his own.

He wore a long, dark blue coat and a shabby-looking vest underneath; his trousers were dark brown and rather singed, and strewn over the entire outfit was a long, thick, blue-and-yellow-striped scarf. He clutched the handle of a clunky brown case in one hand, and a long, narrow, slightly knotted wooden stick in the other.

Newt Scamander was his name, and he was striding along with a very decisive kind of purpose on that chilly autumn day. His eyes were firmly tracked on the ground beneath his feet, and yet he marched along at full speed.

That's why it really wasn't a surprise at all that he nearly crashed straight into the vivid blue police box that for some reason was placed all the way out here in the middle of a bog.

Luckily, it was only a very near thing, and Newt managed to notice that bright blue base before he walked right into it; instead, he came to an abrupt halt and leapt a step back. From there, he lifted his head and squinted at the obstructing box with a confused frown.

The object really was quite strange. Tall, broad, complete with paneled windows and a sign that said something about public calls. Also, it was very, very blue. Clearly a police box, though it was nothing like the ones that Newt had encountered before. This one was much sleeker, less bulky; as a matter of fact, he quite liked the look of it.

Still. Suspicious. What in the world was a police box like this doing out here, in the bogs of Ireland?

Newt frowned at the box a bit more before carefully taking a few steps further away, where he gently set down his case. After bending over to check on the clasps – all firmly locked – he straightened and approached the police box again.

It seemed to be just a box. Newt reached out a hesitant finger and touched its surface – definitely wood, or at least appeared to be.

Taking a slow step back, Newt gripped his wand a little firmer and curiously leveled it at the object. Tilting his head inquisitively, he quietly murmured a few words.

" _Specialis revelio_!"

For a moment, absolutely nothing happened. Then, the light that was perched on the top of the box brightened with a flash, and Newt took a hasty step back.

The light flashed for a few seconds more and then faded away, and after that it didn't seem like anything was happening at all. An expectant silence fell as Newt watched the box with interest, and the box just sat there.

Then, the door of the box sprang open and a strange man hopped out.

Newt stumbled back, eyes widening is surprise, and the man from the box came to an abrupt halt as soon as his eyes lighted upon Newt. He seemed to look Newt up and down over the course of a second, and the slightly concerned look that he'd worn was quickly replaced by a broad smile.

"Oh, hello!" The man exclaimed in pleasant surprise, shoving his hands into the pockets of his long brown coat. Beneath it, he wore a neat pinstriped suit and a pair unusual shoes; upon his head was a pile of unruly (but, in Newt's opinion, perfectly respectable) brown hair. His eyes twinkled with unrestrained excitement and adventure.

Newt didn't quite know what to think just yet, but then he never really did when it came to people. The man didn't really give Newt the time to do anything at all, as he continued talking with a grin. "Was that you just now?"

Newt started, blinking. "Sorry?"

The man rocked back on his heels, and his grin turned wry. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not one of those…what'd you call 'em, here? Is it…Muggles! That's it! Oh, I haven't said that word in a good long while. Brilliant. But that was you just now, wasn't it, doing one of your _spells_ on the Tardis?"

He emphasized the word _spells_ with a mix of glee and ridicule, and Newt simply stood there for a long moment, gaping slightly at the strange man. Apparently he was a wizard, after all, but beyond that, Newt really didn't know. He caught himself after a pause, snapping his mouth shut and averting his eyes.

"…Erm… it might have been, yes," said Newt awkwardly, feeling vaguely apologetic. "…Sorry about that."

The man tilted back his head happily, and his grin got even broader. "Oh, don't be, the Tardis is more than able to handle a little something like that. In fact, I think she likes it – seems to wake her up a little. Almost like a jolt of caffeine to her system, only it's mid-level psychic manipulation. Weell, not quite mid-level. Well…mid, anyway. Well…" He trailed off, seeming to shake himself internally, and did away with the musing expression that' stolen across his face.

"Sorry! Look at me, blathering on, and I haven't even introduced myself!" He leaned forward from where he was standing, smiling toothily. "Lovely to meet you. I'm the Doctor."

Newt nodded slowly, eyebrows raised in slow-moving surprise. "Um…yes. Pleasure to meet you, Doctor…?" He trailed off, rather than asking directly for the man's actual name. The Doctor nodded slightly, still smiling in a slightly manic way, and wasted not a second to reply.

"And you are?"

Newt blinked again, feeling rather at a loss. "Oh, erm…Newt Scamander. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

At this point, the Doctor fell silent, at least temporarily. His eyes widened even more, if that was possible, and his mouth fell open into a wide, overjoyed grin.

After what felt like a very long moment of silence that Newt spent averting his eyes and fidgeting, the Doctor leaned forward again with an expression of near-reverence plastered on his face – it was beginning to make Newt feel even more fidgety than normal, and quite uncomfortable really.

"Newt Scamander." The Doctor said the name slowly, seeming to savour every syllable. "Oh. Brilliant. No, really–" He opened his mouth, seeming to fish for words in his mind; his eyes darted everywhere, bright and merry. After a moment of falling short, he shook his head in happy disbelief. "Just – brilliant. That is a… _brilliant_ name."

Newt swallowed with a grimace, feeling distinctly lacking in the area of words. He smiled vaguely, hoping to make up for it.

The Doctor said something under his breath, still grinning, and Newt got the feeling that he had repeated Newt's name again. Luckily, immediately after that the Doctor blinked and launched onto a new topic.

"So, Newt Scamander –" Apparently, the new topic still had to contain his full name in it– "What brings you to the lovely city of Cardiff?"

Even as he said it, the Doctor turned his head to take a look around. His smile faded slightly in response to the surrounding landscape. Newt took a glance around as well, pursuing his lips in apology.

"Erm, sorry, but you're not quite in Cardiff," said Newt after a pause.

The Doctor nodded slowly, raising his eyebrows and blowing out his cheeks. He looked rather put out. "Oh, right." He raised a hand to ruffle through his already-tousled hair. "…Where are we, then?"

Newt took a breath, glancing around at the bog again. "Uhm, Ireland, actually. Just off Kenmare."

The Doctor ran a hand over his face, turning back towards Newt again. "Right. Okay. See, I was sort of aiming for Cardiff…it's a bit of a fueling station for my…vessel…" He wrinkled his nose with a sniff, seeming almost unsatisfied with the chosen term. "Ship. And it looks like I've misplaced it!"

Newt frowned, slightly confused. "Your ship?"

"No, no – Cardiff. Nah, if I misplaced my ship, then I'd really be lost. Loster than lost. Very very much so. But that's alright, Cardiff's not too far off! And we're all right on fuel for now, really. Besides, this place is quite nice around now. Lots of dancing. No, this is really too much to pass up…"

The Doctor kept talking, seeming almost like he didn't really know when to stop, and Newt felt rather badly about not following. But even as the Doctor ranted on about various things that Newt didn't really catch on about, the lower left-hand inside pocket of his coat poked him.

Newt glanced down immediately, placing a hand over the spot where the inside pocket was – just near the kidneys. The lump of warmth fell still for a moment, before twitching and poking him again. Newt's eyes widened; this was really not good timing. As strange and different as this man was, and certainly in what seemed to be a nice way, he was still a wizard, and wizard's reactions to this sort of thing was seldom good.

Newt patted his coat rapidly, making a quiet shushing sound as the Doctor talked on. For a moment it seemed like it worked, but then – an odd sensation that resembled inflation crept across his midriff as the small lump grew into a foot-long lump with clingy claws, all in a matter of seconds. Newt grimaced worriedly, starting to stroke the creature quickly. He turned his body to the left, hoping to hide what must look like a strange bulge protruding from his ribcage.

Just then, the Doctor paused, taking a breath and pinning Newt with a shrewd gaze. "Are you alright?" asked the Doctor with mild concern. Newt raised his eyebrows in question, before realizing that his hand was still stroking his side as if he were rubbing at a wound.

"Oh yes, sorry, no, I'm perfectly alright. Just…erm, scratching an itch." Newt trailed off lamely, attempting to smile. "You were…saying?"

The Doctor frowned, eyebrows pinched sharply, and watched Newt for a moment. Newt reluctantly pulled his hand away from his side, smiling faintly, and folded his arms awkwardly in front of his chest. After a second more, the Doctor cleared his throat and nodded.

"Right, well anyway – yes. You! What brings you to _Ireland_ , then? Are you…studying anything, by any chance? Investigating?"

Newt nodded in a disrupted series of movements, only paying half of his attention to the Doctor at this point. The enlarged lump was slowly making its way around his side and down his back. "Um, yes, right – studying. Writing a book, actually."

The Doctor nodded, grinning. "Writing a book, that's marvelous. I imagine your writings have taken you all over, hmm?"

"Oh, I suppose – yes, I've been… here and there, you know. It's quite – enjoyable, really –" Newt forced out his reply, trying his very hardest not to look around. The pinch of claws had paused just on the small of his back, and a sense of foreboding was beginning to creep over him.

"I can imagine," said the Doctor, eyes bright with a sort of ecstatic light. "And what was the topic of your book? The subject of all your travels?"

Newt opened his mouth to answer, and promptly said absolutely nothing. At that moment, the pressure on his back vanished; the pricking sensation of claws disappeared. _Bugger._

He drew in a deep breath, nodding quickly. "Er – creatures – magical creatures. Habitats, mannerisms, that sort of thing." He lowered his gaze to search the ground all around; there was no sign, none at all. A familiar sinking sensation was making its presence known. This always happened, didn't it, but with another wizard around – that could make things more difficult. At least Pickett had the sense to stay in his pocket this time.

The Doctor sighed happily at Newt's response, tilting his head back and nodding in satisfaction. "Magical creatures. What a topic. Your book, it's the first in hundreds of years to take on that attitude, and let me just say…" The Doctor rambled on again, and Newt tuned him out. He'd just caught a glance of his runaway – a flash of silver-green appeared for a split-second, darting past the Doctor's foot…and straight up to the base of the blue police box.

Newt clapped his hands, stepping forward briskly. "So! Doctor, please – I would really love for you to tell me about your police box. It's quite fascinating, really." Newt interrupted shamelessly, striding up to the box. The silver-green speck had vanished amongst all the blue, but Newt knew that she was here somewhere.

The Doctor paused, silent for a moment, before nodding and turning to stand alongside Newt. "Ah. Right. Well, this police box is certainly something special. Not quite what it seems, but I'm sure that you're more than used to that sort of thing already." He tilted his head to the side, grinning widely at Newt, who was very busy examining the surface of the box. The wizard shuffled along its side, circling the entire thing while the Doctor followed in a casual saunter.

"This blue box is actually my ship. A method of transport, and I must say, it's a really quite good one. Loads of special features. Now I know you've got the entire Apparation thing going for you, which is brilliant, by the way, but my ship – well, it's incomparable. She's called the Tardis, stands for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space."

Newt didn't hear a word of the Doctor's speech, but he nodded and spoke disinterested words of encouragement nonetheless. It really was quite rude, but he couldn't let one of his creatures get lost here. He scanned every inch of the surface as quickly as he could, searching for any hint of silver or green amidst all of the deep blue. Just when he'd circled the entire thing twice and was about to release a disappointed sigh, it happened – silver and green, a small sliver of twinkling color perched at the very top of the box. Newt spun around, wide-eyed, and came face-to-face with the Doctor.

The man in question grinned cheekily, tilting his head to the side. "Gorgeous, isn't she?"

Newt gulped, pressing his lips into a thin line. Rapidly nodding, he stepped sideways in a semi-circle, maneuvering himself so that the Doctor was standing between Newt and the police box, or Tardis, whatever it seemed to be called. The Doctor turned willingly in order to face Newt, still smiling broadly.

"What'dya think?" asked the Doctor.

Newt nodded slowly, eyes locked onto the sliver of silver and green. Only about two inches long – even as he watched, she twitched and suddenly spurted out another six inches. Newt gulped again, dropping his gaze back to the Doctor, who'd begun to lose a bit of his grin. Before the man could turn to look behind, Newt nodded fervently, smiling.

"Oh, it's – it's – it's really quite something," said Newt quickly. "Very – blue."

He tried his best to keep his eyes downturned, but he couldn't help it – another glance upward, and that was it. The beautiful silvery-green reptilian had expanded all the way into her full eleven-inch form. She dangled off the very edge of the Tardis, flicking her triple-forked tongue out teasingly.

Newt frowned at the mischievous Moke, tipping his head to the side in dismay. This time, the Doctor seemed to have had enough; he turned, squinting at his Tardis suspiciously.

"What exactly are you–" Newt heard the exact second that the Doctor caught on – the man gasped in a disbelieving, drawn out way. "Oh. _Oh_. You've got to be _joking_!"

Newt was on his toes in an instant, darting around the Doctor to stand between him and his blue box. He held his hands up to near his chest, extended in hopeful peace – it was the Doctor's box, after all, and here Newt was trying to keep him from it.

He licked his lips quickly, drawing a thin breath. "Now, Doctor, please…she's not dangerous. Mokes are natural residents of Ireland, they're no harm to anyone and they're certainly not capable of knocking down anyone's fences, so please…just let me take her back." Newt's heart thudded hopefully; he'd liked the Doctor so far, despite his strangeness, and he really hoped that he was as kind as he seemed.

The Doctor gaped at him for a long moment, his expression half overjoyed and half offended. "Oh, but that's…hang on, sorry, what? You didn't think that I…oh, no, listen, you've got this all wrong!" The Doctor exclaimed loudly, straightening in mild indignation. "I would never…oh, no, I – I _adore_ magical creatures. Would never dream of hurting them. Sorry, I thought I'd mentioned." The grin was back, wider than ever; Newt felt that he could half-reciprocate it, this time around, but his facial muscles seemed to have been frozen.

The Doctor shook his head in disbelief once again, turning to look back up at the lazing Moke on the roof of the Tardis. "No, she's simply brilliant. Beautiful! Amazing! Can shrink and enlarge herself at will. Talk about a defensive mechanism, aye? The second she hears a stranger approaching – wham! And suddenly she's a quarter of an inch long. What'd you call her, a Moke? Hah, a classic magical creature. Or, I should say – supposedly. Because really, more often than not, magical creatures aren't actually that, they're more like…visitors. From quite a long way away, most of the time. In fact…." The Doctor took a breath and paused, clearing his throat and looking back at Newt apologetically.

"Well, anyway. Point being. Your Moke is welcome to lounge on my Tardis." The Doctor's grin seemed quite explosive at that point, and Newt finally worked up an optimistic smile.

The Moke on the Tardis let out a scratchy growl, earning the affectionate gazes of both men. Newt cleared his throat quietly. "I take it you've encountered Mokes before, then?"

The Doctor nodded, managing to tear his gaze away from the lizard. "Oh, yes, a long time ago and a few worlds away –" His words cut off short abruptly, and Newt met his wide-eyed, thoroughly shocked gaze with a start. He almost asked what was wrong, before noticing a slight tugging sensation around the collar.

Newt sighed in mild exasperation, looking down at his breast pocket. A fragile green head poked out, along with two leafy limbs and a stem-like torso. Newt shook his head scoldingly, reaching up to stroke the delicate creature with a careful finger. "Really, Pickett, how many times do I have to tell you?" Newt murmured, raising his eyes ruefully.

The Doctor was standing stock-still, appearing to be quite thoroughly shocked. Newt almost felt worried again, but the second that he met the Doctor's eyes, the other man's face immediately split into a grin of pure joy.

"Brilliant," whispered the Doctor, delighted. "A Tree of Cheem!"

Newt raised his eyebrows hesitantly, slightly extending the hand upon which the tiny green creature had climbed up on. "Meet Pickett the Bowtruckle?"


	2. Meet Pickett - Part II

**Meet Pickett – Part 2**

Nightfall unfolded over the little town of Kenmare in much the same way that it did every evening, during those few strange weeks of autumn in 1924; the townsfolk were just getting started on their nightly vigil, and were already getting quite riled up what with all the bonfires in the roads, and the shotguns and pitchforks and things ready and waiting to be used on unseen enemies. Wives and children had already been stashed away into the relative safety of their homes, and the men and the more stubborn of the women grew restless in the streets. On this night, like every night, the townsfolk vowed that they would defeat whatever demon that was terrorizing them, and they vowed to do it in exactly the same way as they had vowed every night previously. All in all, there wasn't anything remarkable at all about this particular night – that is, not within the town limits.

On the edge of town, however, things were slightly more interesting.

Under the cover of darkness and with the help of a little wizardry, Newt Scamander carefully crept closer to the source of all the commotion.

The nearly-runaway Moke had been safely stowed back in Newt's case – she'd only been out for some fresh air, Newt had told the Doctor mildly, and he couldn't let her go as she hadn't recovered from an injured muscle yet – and Pickett had been carefully tucked back into Newt's coat pocket – with, of course, yet another firm reminder to _stay put, you nosy rascal_. After that, Newt had politely excused himself from the Doctor's company, as he did have a rogue beast to track down and hopefully catch before the day was over – the Doctor had seemed like a nice enough fellow, and he had seemed unusually fond of Newt's creatures, which was a pleasant change, but wizards would be wizards, and Newt couldn't risk it. And anyway, Newt was still vaguely puzzled about the man's strange Tardis police box that was apparently a ship, and the Doctor's queer mannerisms, and also _the Doctor_ , just the Doctor, because Newt had encountered some interesting people in all his travels but never had he come across someone who insisted on being called nothing more than a title.

That didn't matter really, and Newt wouldn't have minded at all, except that he was tracking down an unknown (or, mostly unknown, but that was beside the point) magical creature that _may_ have been causing disorder amongst the Muggles and _might_ have a skittish or possibly aggressive nature. It would be better, Newt was sure, if the area was clear of wizards, because wizards tended to think they knew what they were doing when they really didn't. Also, wizards had a lot of ridiculous laws. Rules and regulations. Newt hoped that the Muggles could be kept out of it, too, because that was an entire other barrel of apples, but… really, all he could do was try and manage. So, Newt had said goodbye to the Doctor and had resumed his attempt at finding any sort of tracks throughout the bog, circling back to Kenmare again and again because he was sure that the creature would appear come nightfall anyway.

Newt hadn't had any luck out in the bogs after all, or anywhere really, and so when nightfall did come, he found himself ducking behind a series of low stone walls and ragged plank fences, keenly hoping not to be seen by the angry Muggles while he kept an eye out for any glimpse of a magical creature.

To his dismay, he also found himself not quite alone.

Newt was just craning his neck to try and see around a particularly rotund bush, attempting to get a glimpse of one shadowy garden a few plots over, when a faint rustling and the stutter of running footsteps came from behind. Newt jumped, hastily grappling for his wand, as a huffing body threw itself against the wall beside him.

It was lucky that the Doctor was as easily recognizable as he was, because Newt might have hexed him if he'd caught on a second later.

"Newt Scamander!" The Doctor exclaimed, slightly out of breath but clearly still in a jolly mood. "Fancy meeting you here."

Newt let out a shaky sigh, blinking and lowering his wand. "Oh, um – Doctor – er, hello…"

"Still hanging about, then? Brilliant, I was hoping that you hadn't run off. Wasn't sure what all the fuss was about, but I was getting a few funny readings off this place and the TARDIS was acting a tad queasy. Hope that wasn't the spell work," said the Doctor in an effortless ramble. He quirked his eyebrows, sticking out his lower lip in thought. "Been a while, I s'pose. But anyway – seems like a ruckus, more physic manipulation, heat signatures, and – and a thing! Definitely a thing. Not sure what sort of thing, yet, but you know, I'm sure it'll turn up. Anyway, what're you up to?"

The Doctor turned to Newt, grinning all the wider. Newt swallowed uncomfortably, eyes wide – he didn't feel as if he'd taken in a single word that the Doctor had said.

"W-who, me? Erm," said Newt, glancing over the wall at the churning Muggle congregation. "Oh, I was just…just watching. I was looking – um. Well. Not particularly looking for anything, really, just thought I'd, er…"

He trailed off.

The Doctor stared at him, eyebrows raised inquisitively. Newt pressed his lips together, ducking away to look over the wall and at the Muggles again. "Ah…quite the commotion, over there – isn't it?"

It wasn't that Newt particularly distrusted the Doctor – not at all. The Doctor was probably the most apparently-accepting wizard that Newt had come across all year. Newt likely would have considered filling the Doctor in on the situation from the start, if he'd had the chance – but then again. There was a magical creature loose in this town, seemingly harassing the Muggles and making them suspicious – Newt was all too familiar with the reaction that such a situation usually brought out in wizards. He kept his gaze firmly averted, hoping the Doctor wouldn't ask again.

The Doctor nodded slowly, his attention seemingly averted. "Mm. Yes. Quite right. I wonder what's got them all riled up. Any ideas?"

It came as a belated realization to Newt that perhaps his change of subject hadn't been quite as well-thought-out as one would hope.

"I-ideas?"

The Doctor squinted over the wall, not quite imitating Newt's ducking position. "'Cause you know, the Irish tend to get a few funny ideas every once in a while, leprechauns and banshees and all that – not that they're wrong or anything, but they do tend to go about things in slightly the wrong direction sometimes. And _these_ fellows," the Doctor nodded at the Muggles, waving torches and arguing loudly. "Seems like something's really got them in a twist, and they don't look like they know what to do about it either."

He turned to aim a knowing look at Newt, who blinked owlishly. "So you know what I think?" asked the Doctor, his tone acquiring an adventurous quality. "I think that _we_ …should go ask them." And with that, the Doctor grinned once again and made to stand up, obviously planning on marching straight over to the Muggles.

Newt managed to only spend a second or two gaping at the Doctor – he was actually rather thrown, because really? What sort of suggestion was that? – before he started, shaking his head rapidly. "No, no – that's really not a good idea –"

The Doctor paused, teetering on his heels. "Oh yes?" There was an almost amused smirk dancing around the corners of his lips, and he raised his eyebrows encouragingly.

After a pause, Newt sighed slightly and silently said farewell to any hopes of keeping his intentions a secret. "…erm, I – I haven't been completely honest with you, Doctor," said Newt in a rush. "I do as a matter of fact have a particular reason for being here. I'm – well, I'm tracking something. I'm not entirely certain of just what yet, but I can promise you that I'll–"

A sudden, sharp snapping sound cut him off, and they both turned at the sound. The Doctor, already in the process of standing, had his head sticking slightly over the wall as it was and so caught sight of the perpetrator first. "Ooh – just what might that be?"

Throwing caution to the wind, Newt stuck his head over the wall as well and scanned the shadowy area before them. There – just behind the fence of a yard a few plots over. Newt exhaled slowly, grimacing. "Ah," he said, keeping his eyes firmly latched onto the silhouetted shape. "Now that would be the creature that I'm tracking."

It was dark and the only illuminating light came from the bonfires in the street a dozen yards away, so they could only see its shape as it moved, each step rather clumsy and off-balance. It wasn't too large – no more than a foot tall, and perhaps two feet long. It seemed to have a tough, armor-like coat or possibly scales – it reflected the light faintly. Newt and the Doctor watched, holding their breaths, as the creature awkwardly hobbled away from the fence that it had just climbed and farther into the garden, limping noticeably. Was it injured? But no – Newt narrowed his eyes, watching closely, as the creature paused on a particular patch of dirt, hunching. It was – digging? After a moment, it seemed to deposit something in the hole it had just created, and then it swiftly covered it back up and started moving again. Its gait turned into something smooth, catlike, and also rather reptilian – it darted from shadow to shadow, making its way up to the tidy home that the garden was adjacent to. More precisely, it was making its way up to a dark _window_.

Newt reached down to grasp the handle to his case sitting beside him, leaning forward. "Right," he said softly, taking a breath.

As they watched, the dark shape paused beneath the window – and then, with a speedy hop, it leapt up and straight onto the windowsill, disappearing perfectly into the dark.

"There she goes–" exclaimed Newt, and he took a quick step forward, completely ignoring the wall standing in his way. There was a magical beast in danger, or in danger of causing trouble – either way. The air distorted in a swirl of magic, and Newt effortlessly Apparated through the barrier and across several yards further without a second thought.

He didn't hear the Doctor's initial gasp of delight – and he definitely didn't hear the subsequent groan of disgruntlement that followed. Newt hurried forward, his mind solely focused on reaching the creature before anything unfortunate happened, and he didn't see the Doctor hastily clambering over walls and through overgrown vegetable patches to join him.

Newt slowly approached the window in question, keeping his wand out and low to the ground before him. The Doctor was by his side an instant later, huffing with the slightest shortness of breath.

"You know, normally I'd be at the head of the pack, but under the circumstances…" the Doctor trailed off, abandoning his whispered and slightly miffed thread. "Any updates on the ideas thing?"

Newt paused, turning slightly to give the Doctor a sidelong glance – and then he took a slow step forward, flicking his wand fractionally in the direction of the window. It clicked, and the rather grimy pane slowly slid upwards, stopping about two feet above the sill.

Newt and the Doctor crept closer, cautiously peering into the shadowy room together. It was a bedroom – they squinted in the dim light, making out an old four-poster heaped with blankets and apparently occupied by two sleeping forms. And below that – there was a flash of movement, and they just caught sight of a silvery-looking tail as it disappeared underneath the bed.

 _Ten to one that's what I think it is._ Newt released a slow breath, turning to catch the Doctor's eye. The other wizard was wearing an excited half-smile, naturally, and he raised his eyebrows at Newt suggestively. Newt's only response was to lift a finger to his lips before reaching out to firmly grasp the Doctor's elbow – with a faint pop, they Apparated over to the other side of the window.

From the corner of his eye, Newt saw the Doctor shudder slightly upon their arrival – a mild curiosity, but under the circumstances, Newt immediately dismissed it. He cast a fleeting glance around the room, just in case, but there was nothing out of ordinary. Trepidatiously stealing closer to the bed, he peered cautiously at the inhabitants – his glimpse revealed two Muggle children, sleeping quite soundly.

Breathing through pursed lips, Newt and the Doctor both carefully maneuvered themselves on either side of the children's bed. Newt readied his wand in one hand, with his case still firmly grasped by the other; on the other side of the room, the Doctor reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a strange metallic sort of wand, his expression half grave and half delighted. Slowly, they knelt to the floor and crouched low to the ground – they hunched down onto their elbows, craning their necks to peer into the shadowy space underneath the bed –

For a moment, it was silent. Newt eyed the Doctor on the other side of the dark space – just underneath where the head of the bed was, an even darker sort of lump seemed to sit. " _Lumos_ ," he breathed, and on the opposite side, a faint click sounded as the Doctor made his metal wand emit a sharp blue light.

Immediately, there was an angry hiss – something darted past them, out through the gap at the foot of the bed, and away – the light from Newt and the Doctor's wands just barely revealed a glittering silver body, an angular head, watchful eyes, and a flash of something black and wispy – Newt and the Doctor both shot up from the floor, gasping and searching wildly for any sign of the creature.

Again, they only just caught sight of the end of its silver tail as it slipped out the window and into the night. Together they ran over to the windowsill again, staring out into the garden and the street beyond, but the creature seemed to have vanished.

Behind them, a faint cough sounded.

Heart racing, Newt found the Doctor's elbow a second later – another pop, and they blinked away and back to the same spot behind the wall that they'd occupied only a moment ago. Newt let go of the Doctor's elbow with a gust of breath, ducking low in case the Muggles were still watching.

"Sorry about that," said Newt breathlessly, turning towards the Doctor as the other man crouched down beside him. "Didn't want to hang around and have to deal with an Obliviation – of course, we could have used a Disillusionment or something, but that would've taken longer…"

The Doctor frowned at him, puzzled. "Hmm?"

"Oh – sorry, I thought – you don't seem too fond of Apparition?"

The Doctor opened his mouth in realization, nodding slowly. "Oh – oh right. Sorry, no, it's not that I mind really, only that I've seen cases where…well…let's just say it wasn't pretty. And anyway, I've got my Tardis, which is practically the same thing only a lot better – and it doesn't include the option of _splinching_ , so there's that–" He said the word _splinching_ with intense distaste. The Doctor paused, taking a breath and visibly changing the subject. "Anyway!"

Newt nodded, turning his mind to more important matters. The creature – his suspicions had been unceremoniously confirmed upon getting that fleeting glimpse of it. He took a quick breath, about to say as much –

"That creature – I've seen it before."

Or he would have done, except that the Doctor beat him to it. Newt froze, eyes wide, as the Doctor leaned his head back against the stone wall, frowning to himself. "I only got a glimpse, really, and it was a while ago, but – oh, but where was it? Or was it…Skannos? Ogros? Hang on…oh, but – never mind!" He turned to grin widely at Newt, delighted once again. "D'you know another great thing about the Tardis? She's got an _excellent_ identification database. Records of everything, very very handy, and as I just so happened to get a recording of our little troublemaker's hissy fit…" The Doctor waggled his eyebrows with his implication before hopping to his feet.

Newt found himself clambering after him, feeling at a loss. "Sorry, you – what?"

The Doctor started jogging away backwards, moving away from the wall and towards the dark bogs. "Come on, Newt Scamander! I've got something spectacular to show you!"

And with a sigh, Newt rather reluctantly followed, calling after him in mild exasperation and with a sense of defeat. "You know, just 'Newt' is perfectly fine…"

The night had grown quite chilly, and a cutting wind had risen up as well; Newt pulled his scarf tighter around his neck and quickly hurried after the Doctor, who was rushing through the darkness with an apparent certainty of where he was going. They weaved between stunted trees and gnarled bushes for a few minutes, until they reached their destination – once again, they were standing in front of the Doctor's strange blue police box. The Tardis now occupied a very different piece of bog, and even in the dark it didn't appear any less vibrant to Newt.

The Doctor paused at the door, turning back to smile mischievously at Newt. "Come along then," said the Doctor, eyes twinkling. With that, he stepped forward and pushed open the door, disappearing inside. Newt only found himself slightly dubious at the Doctor's enthusiasm – he shrugged lightly, stepping forward curiously.

And…well, that explained it. Newt paused on the threshold of the Tardis' interior, examining the place – it was expanded beautifully, though it did have a rather strange layout, what with all the stone and metal and all that. There were a lot of strange lights and devices, and at the center of the room was a sort of compilation of extremely odd objects all mashed into one. The Doctor stood on the platform leading up to it, facing Newt with his hands in his pockets and an expectant grin on his face.

Newt shifted his case in front of him, grasping it with both hands, and gave the Doctor a small smile. It didn't seem like quite enough, though – the Doctor waited, obviously looking for a particular reaction on his part. Just as the Doctor's grin started to fade into an almost offended sort of disbelieving frown, Newt spoke up quickly. "It's, um – quite nice, your Tardis. Quite an – er, interesting …design."

The Doctor looked positively crestfallen. "What, you aren't going to say it?" he asked incredulously, pouting.

"Say – er, what?"

Newt was beginning to feel as if he'd intruded on something somehow – the Doctor let out an exasperated sigh, slumping his shoulders. "Oh, you – _wizards_ , you lot," he grumbled, spinning on his heel and marching up to the center of the room. "Impossible to impress, honestly. I s'pose nothing's a novelty for you, not when you're able to say the magic word and conjure up an elephant, wave your wand and wind up with the Taj Mahal for a tool shed–"

Newt hastily moved to join the Doctor up on the elevated platform that surrounded the centerpiece of the room, unsure of whether or not the Doctor's rant was meant for his ears – but the way that the Doctor was talking didn't sound completely right to Newt. Almost as if he considered himself an outsider – apart from wizards? Newt trailed after him, frowning as the muttering Doctor walked in circles, flipping switches and turning knobs almost frantically. After a final, vigorous crank of a lever, he sniffed and shook his head sharply, seeming to shake off his apparent annoyance as well.

"Right! Well, better get busy, aye?" said the Doctor loudly, reaching into his pocket to pull out his metal wand again. He flicked it into the air, extending the tip – he peered closely at it, squinting. "Let's see what the Tardis makes of this, shall we?"

The Doctor sent Newt an eager grin – Newt was glad, if only for the fact that the Doctor was apparently no longer irritated with him – and promptly inserted his wand into a slot on the central fixture. There was a series of beeps, and several of the lights along the device lit up and flashed brightly – the Doctor spun to grab hold of a sort of hanging screen, angling it towards Newt. It was apparently some kind of photo frame, only stranger – the image flickered, appearing rather gravelly at first, before revealing a paragraph of text as well as a picture of a very familiar creature.

"Aha! _Diplos_ , that's it, Diplos of the Tau Ceti system," exclaimed the Doctor, reaching up to run a hand through his hair as he examined the screen. Newt took a step closer, reading the words. "That explains it! The Diplosians are lovely, but they do have the tendency to try and show off whenever possible, and trading for valuable creatures is a fashionable way to do it, apparently…"

 _Diplos, Tau Ceti System_ – the screen listed this as the creature's 'origin', though Newt was fairly certain that he'd pinpointed the creature's native turf to be the rocky Indonesian coast. It also named the creature as a 'Decrioz', and then attributed it to have the ability to 'siphon psychic energy from the minds of sleeping beings, stimulating the psyche of both the siphoner and the siphonee'. The photo of the beast was the most familiar to Newt – it showed a graceful creature that appeared to be a cross between a cat and a lizard; the silvery sheen of the cat's furry forelegs and front half gave way to the silver, scaled hindquarters and long, reptilian tail. Perhaps the most striking feature, however, was the pair of wispy, smoke-like wings that sprouted from the creature's shoulders – black and trailing, they didn't appear to have any intention of aiding with flight.

" _Decrioz_ ," remarked Newt curiously, tilting his head into a frown. "Interesting name. I've only heard them called a Mimpi, in my travels, but I suppose that the other one might be a bit more fitting."

The Doctor gave Newt an almost scandalized look, brows pinching together heroically. "You've seen these _before_?"

"Yes, actually, in India – they're revered by the magical community there, Mimpis are thought to broaden the imagination of those it, er, siphons from. Although, the environment in India doesn't quite suit them, really – I'm almost certain that they're actually from Indonesia, they prefer islands with that sort of climate." The Doctor's expression grew increasingly outrageous and also quite impressed, too – Newt couldn't help standing a little straighter, a bubble of pride rising in his chest.

"I'm not certain where Diplos or Tau Ceti is, but I'd imagine it's probably somewhere in that vicinity," admitted Newt with a smile, rolling on his heels. "I didn't spend all that much time in Asia, to tell you the truth."

"Oh, never mind that!" the Doctor waved a hand dismissively, staring at Newt in elation. "It's not really that much of a surprise that they wound up here, honestly, people can never take a trip around the galaxy without bringing their pets along for the ride – but really! Met them in India! The mighty Mimpis – oh, that's brilliant. You're brilliant, you are. Nevermind this old thing, then–" The Doctor gave the projecting screen a flippant shove, sending it spinning away from them. "–won't be needing that, will we, not with the _expert_ at hand! …Honestly, now I'm feeling a bit useless, myself."

Newt blinked, unsure of whether he should thank him for the praise, or deny it – the Doctor scratched at his ear rather forlornly, but only for a second, and an instant after that he bounced on his feet, burying his hands in his pockets attentively.

"So! You're the boss, you tell me – what's the plan?"

That declaration might have made Newt uneasy, in other instances, but in this particular situation, he felt rather confident. He took a few steps back from the Doctor, shifting his case to brace it as he set it down on the metal floor. "Well, first I'll need to grab a few things," he told the Doctor as he flipped the clasps open carefully. "Shouldn't take too long, and it'd probably be a good idea to check up on everyone as well." Newt glanced at the Doctor in hesitation, wondering – should he bring him in as well? They were apparently in this together, now, and to be honest Newt was rather enjoying the Doctor's company –

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, turning his gaze on the suitcase curiously. "Everyone?"

Newt released a small sigh, making up his mind. He gave the Doctor a patient smile – he had a feeling that the cheerful new friend would enjoy this. "Follow me."

And with that, Newt popped open the case and stepped inside, finding the well-worn rungs to the ladder and swiftly making his descent. He only caught the Doctor's blank expression as his head disappeared inside, admitting him back into the familiar space.

Newt paused at the foot of the ladder, smiling in anticipation – from outside, there was nothing but a long silence. He had the funny feeling that the Doctor was probably standing stock-still, gaping at the case in wonderment – after a moment, the Doctor's hushed voice drifted down to his ears.

"Oh…no. _No_. No way."

He sounded utterly thrilled.

There was quick scurry of footsteps and a scuffing sound – the Doctor's legs appeared a second later, his trench coat twisting around his. Newt took a few steps back, beaming, as the Doctor hopped down and spun around, looking about in amazement – his grin was more explosive than ever.

Newt raised his eyebrows, watching as the Doctor seemed to wrestle with the ability to speak. It was another few seconds before he met Newt's eyes, exuberant.

"Your case… _it's bigger on the inside_ ," said the Doctor slowly, seeming to savour every word. "Hah!"

Never before had Newt seen someone take such unbridled delight at the phrase.

* * *

 **A/N: Firstly, thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, followed, read in general...I'm glad you liked this! Yes, of course, it was destiny for Newt and the Doctor to meet. I love this idea to bits, honestly, and it was a delight to write. There will be one more part to this particular adventure, and then...who knows? Perhaps Newt will gradually become the Doctor's Official Intergalactic Zoologist Who Is Also a Wizard...or something.**

 **Oh, and I completely made up Mimpis _and_ Decrioz. Diplos of Tau Ceti system, on the other hand, is a canon Doctor Who thing. As for the Mimpis - if it helps, just picture a silver, more catlike vaporeon with black smoke-wings. **

**Let me know what you think! :)**


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